Since my last post we have had a new addition to our family! Nope Max hasn't let me adopt another cat from the rescue home (yet!) but I finally got a sewing machine!!
Ever impatient- as soon as i got it last week for my birthday i whipped it out of the box and set it up on the desk in the office/guest room. Luckily Max was on hand t thread the thing because quite frankly the instructions baffled me (and men have to be good for something right??). So that was it- ready to go. I already have some pieces of fabric so I got one out and searched the Internet for cushion cover tutorials.
I figured something which required stitching in straight lines was going to be easiest to start on. I found this video and set about making an envelope cushion cover (no fastenings is much easier for a beginner!) from said fabric and an old cushion from the sofa...
I didn't really measure it out properly so its slightly bigger than the cushion itself and the envelope back isn't really an envelope but all in all it looks OK. Don't get me wrong when we have re-done the living room this wont really go with the decor but it was a good beginners project.
So with some false confidence i went ahead and bought some star patterned fabric and a "1 hour Easy" sewing pattern for a top from John Lewis.
Really i should have complained to trading standards for mis-leading product information- there was nothing "easy" about trying to work out this pattern!! Anyway getting back to the house- after a few days of cutting out all the pieces i had to iron in something called interfacing which is something which gives clothes structure. At this point it was late at night i was tired and i thought i could quickly just iron it on- on the carpet. Boy was i wrong!!!! After pressing the iron down about 5 times i only then realised that i was melting the carpet and my top was actually fused to the carpet :( :(
Stupid stupid stupid girl. Once Max had managed to peel the fabric off the carpet the extent of the damage was clear
So you can see i have came up with an amazing DIY way to brighten up boring beige carpet! Although this carpet isn't new, as in it was already here when we moved in, we did intend to keep it as its not that offensive. The plan now is to get a rug to go under the desk and cover the burn until we get a whole new carpet... But you know the top actually turned out alright in the end!
In other house news- we have cleared out 3 of the shelves on our Expedit book case in the office/guest room to make room for my craft supplies. When we re-do the living room we will be doing quite a big built in book case/TV stand so we have put some of the books we have already read into storage until they can go to their new home downstairs..
I bought the storage boxes on the top left hand side shelf from TK Maxx not long ago and they hold all my fabrics and threads. I've used the basket which used to be in the airing cupboard to hold all my wool which used to be in a drawer (so i kept buying more and more because i couldn't see them!). Not so long ago my Nana gave me a big box of vintage buttons which i have dispensed into this old biscuit jar and covered the lid in a scrap of fabric we had left over from the blinds
Cant quite believe that the books just off those 3 small shelves was enough to fill this big box!
Other additions to the room include this wire cake stand which i imagined i would use to store something crafty but i haven't yet decided on what yet, and a new plant for the windowsill - I do love plants!
Next project is the garden!!
r
